Wanderings of French Ed
Page 2
Their interests were mutual, and intheir friendship they found the nucleus of courage to hold them up indays of adversity.
Edward's old dreams of fortune came back, and he succeeded in gettinghis new friend to share some of them. A partnership was arrangedbetween the two, and from this time Edward began to peddle framesfrom house to house. It was hard and far from the realization of hisold dreams, but it was better than starvation, and the hope of betterdays, combined with the example of the Russian, gave him courage tofollow this rather humble trade.
At times, when they met at night, after a lucky day and counted theirreceipts, they were elated, while other times, not being sofortunate, they felt discouraged. More than once, Edward decided towrite home for money, but at the last minute his pride stopped him.
"No, never! I will not let them know that I am poor, humiliated, afailure!"
It had been decided that they would go west as soon as they wouldhave saved the necessary capital, and at last, after three months ofhard work and close economy, they found that they had enough money toabandon the frame business and start for the West.
Edward was all excitement. His golden dreams had all come back. Afterbuying a new suit, he went and had his picture taken, sent one home,another to Marie Louise, and told them of the wonderful things he wasto accomplish out West. Preparations were made and tickets bought forSt. Paul, Minnesota, and as he stepped aboard the train to leaveWorcester he could not help but think of the difference between hisdeparture from home and his leaving Worcester now. His heart wasoverflowing with gladness, and there was nothing but happy tidings inhis soul. There was no sad parting at the station. No, his onlyfriend was going along with him, and he felt a keen pleasure inleaving a city which had been so ungrateful to him. The luxuriouspalace car was a revelation to him, who had never seen anything likeit, and he felt like a man who is traveling toward success. He couldhardly refrain himself from singing when the train started, but hisfriend Benjamin was indifferent, and when Edward began to speak aboutthe wonderful things they were to do out West, Benjamin simplysmiled.
"Won't we be happy, Ben, when we have lots of money?" asked Edward.
"I may find distraction in making money, and pleasure in seeing youhappy, Ed, but there cannot be any happiness for me," answered theRussian, with sadness. Then he spoke of his dead mother feelingly. Asto his father, it was a queer anomaly, but the Russian had none ofthat filial love of which Edward's heart was so full. No; there wassome mysterious cloud between Benjamin and his father, and Edwardpitied his friend from the bottom of his heart.
The rumbling noise of the fast train, as it moved toward the West,was music to Edward's ears, and he enjoyed it too much to be able toread, and while Benjamin was reading one of Tolstoi's novels, Edwardrested his head on the back of his seat and closed his eyes, lettinghis mind wander in dreamland.
When night came they decided not to buy tickets for the sleeper, inorder to economize, and both slept well, stretched upon the benchesof the palace car. Morning found them both quite fresh, and theRussian went back to his novel, while Edward studied the faces aroundhim.
There were all sorts of faces. Some told of happiness and health,others spoke plainly of sadness and misfortune; others still wereenigmas--they told of nothing, and if they had known of stormy days,and drank of some of life's bitter cup, there were no traces left. Afew seats ahead of him Edward noticed a tall chap with his armsaround the waist of a woman with golden hair. Her face told of newmatrimonial bliss and he seemed to be so happy that he was satisfiedto look at his bride without speaking. Edward thought how he wouldlike to have Marie Louise as his bride and going West also, when heheard something falling and turning around in the direction where thenoise came from he saw a beautiful young girl who was vainly tryingto pull off part of her sleeve from under the window-shade, which hadjust fallen, causing the noise. Edward hesitatingly got up, andsucceeded in releasing the young lady from her awkward position. Shethanked him, and when he looked into her large brown eyes he feltthat they were the most beautiful he had seen in all his life. Hewent back to his seat, and felt sorry at once for not having spokento her. The more he thought, the more he wanted to speak to her,until at last, he got up and boldly walked up to her seat, butimagine his surprise there--he found himself unable to say a word.She looked up, and seeing his embarrassment, said something that hefailed to understand, but her kind smile brought back his courage andhis power of speech. Picking up her things, she made room on her seatand he sat down and began the conversation in broken English.
A woman of twenty, with a mass of auburn hair-that color that isthree in one, golden in the sun, brown in the shade, and dark in theevening. Her eyes were large and soft, shaded by long eyelashes. Itwas difficult to tell their color, but they possessed a magneticpower that Edward felt at once, and every time he looked in her eyeshe felt dazed. His whole being seemed to become involved in a spellof strange happiness, and listening to her, he felt that she couldmake him her slave. When he told her of his going to St. Paul,Minnesota, she said that she had often been in that city, and hadmany friends living there. Her conversation was easy and fascinating,and Edward did not dare to make any comparison between her and MarieLouise, whose name came to his mind more than once. After an hour orso of conversation she told him that she could speak French, andimmediately proceeded to talk that language, to his astonishment, andhe mildly reproached her for not having spoken that language before.
"I just love to hear any one speak English the way you do," she said.
While talking French she held Edward spellbound. She spoke of Daudet,Zola, George Ohnet, Chartrand, and many other modern novelists of theFrench school, and it developed that her favorite authors were alsohis.
"Why don't you stop in Chicago and see the city?" she asked him, atthe same time inviting him to call at her home, and giving him adainty, engraved card upon which he read her name: "Nellie King,"with her address written with a lead pencil.
Edward could hardly believe his ears, and said that he would bedelighted to stop in Chicago, but he was not alone, and his friendmight not want to.
"I am sure that you can induce your friend to stop a day or two, ifyou care to, and I would be very glad to entertain you while in thecity," she said with her most winsome smile.
"If you really care to have me stop, I will, even if my friend doesnot want to," said Edward, entirely decided to do so.
He went over to his friend Ben, who was just awakening from a doze,and mentioned the idea of stopping in Chicago.
The Russian was surprised and said: "Why, Edward, we know no one inChicago; what's the use to stop there and, spend time and money!"
"Yes, I do know some one there," answered Edward, blushing like amaiden. "I know a lovely girl who would like very much to have mestop."
The Russian looked surprised, and asked Edward where he had met thatgirl.
"Right in this car," answered Edward.
Ben smiled pitifully, and said: "Poor boy, you must not let yourheart run away with your common sense; we cannot stop in Chicago."
Edward was thoughtful for a minute, and then said: "I will stopanyway, Ben--I have made up my mind to.
"Well, if you have, I will also stop; but Edward, look out, it isdangerous to get acquainted too quick with a girl, especially aChicago girl," he added.
This last remark made Edward angry, and he was tempted to takeoffense, but he knew that his friend had no intention but to give himgood advice, and then they were to stop in Chicago--that was what hewanted.
When they arrived at the great metropolis of the West, Edward offeredto see Miss King to her home, while the Russian was to wait at thestation until his return.
When Edward came back, his friend asked him: "Did she cry when youleft her?"
"Ben, I don't like to hear you speak this way about her. No; I won'tpermit any joking about it."
"All right, Ed, but what do you know about her?"
"I know that she is a good girl, and that she is not making sport ofme.
"
"How do you know it?"
"She told me so."
"Oh! la! la! la! She told you so, eh? Don't you know that women cansay anything?"
"Never mind, Ben, you are not my keeper. This is a personal matter."
Edward knew that his friend was an enemy of womankind, and thereforehe saw fit to close the discussion as soon as possible.
They left their baggage in the check-room and went to a cheap hotelwhere they had lunch, and afterward the Russian asked Edward aboutthe program for the afternoon.
"My program is already made," said Edward. "I shall call on MissKing." They walked together in the direction of her home, where theyparted, after having agreed to meet later at the hotel.
When Edward rang the doorbell his heart was beating so hard that hecould bear it, and when the colored servant